Portable containers for dispensing cleaning or sanitizing solutions are generally known, and most commonly are semi-rigid containers that can be selectively opened or closed so that the solution retained in the container may be dispensed. These containers are herein termed “semi-rigid” because, although being formed of rigid materials, they give to pressure such that their interior volume can be temporarily decreased in order to dispense some of the solution retained therein. These types of portable personal dispensers are very popular for dispensing hand sanitizer, hand cleaner, and hand lotion. The amount of fluid they dispense is typically dependent upon the degree to which they are squeezed, and is thus variable between uses.
Hand sanitizers, hand cleaners, and hand lotions are also dispensed through the use of positive displacement pumps and wall-mounted dispensers, as generally known. These devices typically include a reciprocating piston member or pivoting lever member that causes pump mechanisms to dispense product upon being reciprocated or pivoted. These dispensers provide the beneficial feature of providing a user with a unit dose of the hand treatment solution upon activation of their dispensing mechanics, though they are typically not employed as portable personal dispensers because the piston or lever member can be unintentionally actuated to cause an accidental dispensing of product. For instance, though a piston-type pump dispenser might be of a size suitable for carrying in a large pocket or purse, the piston can be reciprocated by contact with the body of the person carrying the dispenser or by contact with items in the purse.
Some less common personal dispensers that have to date not achieved widespread use are both readily portable and provide for dispensing a unit dose of product. Exemplary embodiments of these portable personal dispensers can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 6,789,706 and U.S. Published Patent Application Nos. 2006/0186140 and 2005/0199651. These types of dispensers are characterized by the employment of a dome pump mechanism positioned between an outlet of the dispenser and fluid held within a portable container. Because these types of dispensers are of particular interest as refill units, they are first generally disclosed, as background, and the present invention is then disclosed in the description of the invention.
The “refill units” of this invention are basically personal dispensers, and can be characterized by a minimal number of elements. These elements are numbered and identified in exemplary embodiments shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, and discussed here, with elements of FIG. 1 being distinguished by employing the letter A, elements of FIG. 2 being distinguished by employing the letter B, and elements of FIG. 3 being distinguished by employing the letter C after the numeral identifying an element. Thus, these prior art personal dispensers 10A, 10B and 10C include a collapsible container 12A, 12B, 12C that defines an interior volume that holds fluid F and is sealed at its perimeter so as to collapse as fluid F is dispensed therefrom. The collapsible container 12A, 12B, 12C is typically formed of film material, which, notably, might be punctured by a sharp object. A pump mechanism 14A, 14B, 14C communicates with the fluid F in the container 12A, 12B, 12C. The pump mechanism 14A, 14B, 14C includes a collapsible dosing chamber 16A, 16B, 16C that normally rests in an uncompressed state, providing an expanded volume, as shown. A fluid outlet path 18A, 18B, 18C fluidly communicates with interior volume of the pump mechanism 14A, 14B, 14C and provides an exit 20A, 20B, 20C communicating externally of the interior volume of the container 12A, 12B, 12C. In the embodiments of FIGS. 1 and 2, the fluid outlet paths 18A and 18B extend through rigid nozzle portions 19A, 19B, but in the embodiment of FIG. 3, the outlet path 18C extends through a non-rigid outlet extension 19C. The outlet path 18C can be formed of two films secured together to create a path that is effectively sealed to fluid flow until fluid pressure causes the films to be forced apart to open the outlet path 18C and permit the dispensing of fluid.
Operating the pump mechanism 14A, 14B, 14C forces a portion of the fluid through the fluid outlet path 18A, 18B, 18C and out the exit 20A, 20B, 20C thereof. More particularly, the pump mechanism 14A, 14B, 14C includes inlet and outlet valves that function to regulate the flow of fluid F into and out of collapsible dosing chamber 16A, 16B, 16C, and these valves open and close upon operation of the pump mechanism 14A, 14B, 14C. The inlet and outlet valves can be seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, and the valves for FIG. 1 are shown in the pump mechanism 14A of FIG. 4. Additionally, in the refill unit 16C of FIG. 3, the extension 19C, being normally closed, acts as a valve, permitting dispensing of fluid when the pressure behind the exit 20C. Pressing on the collapsible dosing chamber 16A, 16B, 16C moves it to a collapsed state, having a compressed volume, and fluid F held within the collapsible dosing chamber 16A, 16B, 16C is thus forced out through the fluid outlet path 18A, 18B, 18C and exit 20A, 20B, 20C. An outlet valve 22A, 22B, 22C of pump mechanism 14A, 14B, 14C may be provided to permit flow of the fluid F from within collapsible dosing chamber 16A, 16B, 16C toward and through exit 20A, 20B, 20C, but not in the opposite direction. Similarly an inlet valve 24A, 24B, 24C in pump mechanism 14A, 14B, 14C permits flow of the fluid F from the interior of collapsible container 12A, 12B, 12C into the collapsible dosing chamber 16A, 16B, 16C, but not in the opposite direction. As mentioned, the outlet valve 22C can be provided as two films joined together to create a path that is effectively sealed to fluid flow until fluid pressure causes the films to be forced apart to open the outlet path 18C and permit the dispensing of fluid. In this way, pressing on collapsible dosing chamber 16A, 16B, 16C to assume a collapsed state forces fluid F out of exit 20A, 20B, 20C, while releasing the collapsible dosing chamber 16A, 16B, 16C from the collapsed state draws fluid into the collapsible dosing chamber 16A, 16B, 16C as it expands to an expanded state. Normally, the collapsible dosing chamber 16A, 16B, 16C is formed of a resilient material that naturally returns to its expanded state, but a spring or other biasing element might be employed in the interior of the collapsible dosing chamber to urge it to the expanded state.
The foregoing prior art personal dispensers are offered as examples of refill units that can be employed in accordance with the present invention, but it should be appreciated that other personal dispensers having different structures could be employed as refill units.
Though these types of personal dispensers offer desired functions, they present some undesired problems in that they can be unintentionally actuated to cause an undesired dispensing of product. They also typically have flexible, thin film walls that might be compromised by any sharp object carried in close proximity to the dispenser. Thus a need exists in the art for a portable personal dispenser assembly that can be actuated to provide a unit dose of fluid and can also be manipulated to prevent unwanted dispensing. This invention provides such a dispenser through the provision of a casing that is to carry a portable dispenser of the type generally disclosed above.